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Blog/Interview Tips
Interview Tips

Key Personality Questions (Impress Any Hiring Manager)

Answering personality questions in a job interview is an important skill. You are more likely to get the position if you answer these satisfactorily. Four personality-related questions, with suggested answers, plus dos and don'ts.
Ita John
Written By Ita John

Founder, CVJury

Share:
Published 1 April 2024Updated 13 October 20265 min read
Key Personality Questions (Impress Any Hiring Manager)

In This Article

  1. 1Answers That Help You Nail Common Personality Questions
  2. 2Key Personality Questions
  1. 1Answers That Help You Nail Common Personality Questions
  2. 2Key Personality Questions

Answering personality questions in a job interview is an important skill. You are more likely to get the position if you answer these satisfactorily. You may not realize that answering personality questions in a job interview is a critical skill, but it is. If you do poorly in this area, it is unlikely that the interviewer will invite you to the next round. Reflect on your character and personality traits to perfect this skill and prepare for these questions. How will you use them to answer specific key personality questions?

Interviews can be excruciating, even for experienced workers, especially fresh graduates applying for their first full-time position. Success requires preparation and mastery of navigating the tricky personality questions that hiring managers often ask. Hiring managers or recruiters typically pose unique personality questions to learn about your:

  • Personality (will you fit in?)
  • Aspirations (why do you want the position?)
  • Behaviors (can you cope with stress?)
  • Competency (can you do the job?)
  • Ethics (would you bend the rules?)
  • Management skills (what is your management style?)
  • Self-motivation (are you energized and focused?)

In this post, you'll discover how to deal with personality questions effectively.

Answers That Help You Nail Common Personality Questions

Previously, we gave some suggested answers to these questions:

  • What type of team do you enjoy working in?
  • Tell me about yourself.
  • What do you want to get out of today's meeting?
  • Tell me about your last employer.

Today, however, we're going to discuss four personality-related questions. We've provided some likely answers you can use to help you breeze through to the next stage, and maybe even get a job offer.

So, let's dive into the four personality questions on any employer's list of personality questions to ask candidates.

Key Personality Questions

1. What Would Your Previous Boss Say About You?

One of the best ways to approach this question is to understand that you must express your attitude positively.

Try to have a specific piece of feedback ready rather than generalizations. Look for what the job advert lists as the essential/required criteria in the job description, then tie your answer to those qualities.

Suggested Answer

If you've had an appraisal with one of your previous bosses, pick out the positive comments and use them. Keep it concise. Always take note of such things in any appraisal, as the information always comes in handy later.

Example:

”
My boss would say I'm a very hard-working, problem-solver, and a team player. In my last appraisal, they mentioned that I'm a good communicator and an essential part of the team.

The keywords you mention should be those you see in the job adverts. For example, keywords such as hard-working, a problem-solver, and a team player.

Other functional soft and hard skills you can boast about when answering this question, if you possess them, might include:

  • Client-facing skills
  • Commercial acumen
  • Conflict resolution training
  • Awareness of current industry trends
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Legal and regulatory awareness
  • Organisational skills
  • People management skills
  • Product and market knowledge
  • Project management experience

2. What Were Your Favorite Subjects at School?

Here's an excellent opportunity to talk about what you did in school. But also how it influenced you moving forward. This can help to give a more rounded view of yourself as a person.

Example:

”
Literature was a big favorite of mine. I enjoy reading and broadening my mind and my horizons.

3. Tell Me About a Responsibility That You Enjoyed

Here is a question for which you should prepare one or two answers; you can then expand them according to the situation.

Example:

”
The company hired a recruit, and I oversaw guiding him on two projects and advancing his skills. He improved throughout the projects, and it was a great mentoring experience.

4. Do You Prefer to Work on Your Own?

Here, the interviewer assesses whether you can work independently and in a team.

”
I work well alone, but I also thrive when I'm part of a team. Sometimes, I had to do tasks on my own for a project. It wasn't a problem because I'm self-motivated and enjoy working with others. Overall, it's ideal to find a balance.

Answering personality questions correctly increases your chances of landing the job. But giving the correct response requires thoughtfulness, preparation, and more preparation.

Prepare thoroughly and use our tried and tested interview tips to make a good impression on any hiring manager in the future. Let your unique personality shine.

Meanwhile, discover how to use our incredible 30-60-90-day plan for success to blow away the next recruiter you meet!

What to Do and Not Do When Responding to Personality Questions

Dos

  • Edit all documents. Spell-check all the documents (resume, CV, and covering letter) in your job application, so they are error-free. You can use free apps such as Grammarly or Hemingway to check the readability of your documents. They'll suggest what to improve.
  • ‘I can't recall ever having a job that was my least favorite. Sales aren't the best, but it's interesting, and there's always much to learn.’
  • Always be straight and honest, and say what you feel. Keep it brief and on-topic.
  • Highlight important achievements in your career to stand out. Practice answers to common job interview questions.

Don'ts

  • Don't reply with a one-word response because hiring managers need more information. So, if asked, "What's your least favorite type of work?" Don't just say "sales."
  • Don't let your feelings on personal topics get in the way of responding to questions positively. If asked, "How much time do you spend with friends and family each week?" Be diplomatic if you don't get on with your family!
  • Don't go over the top with your responses. If asked, "What's the most thrilling thing about being an accountant?" — don't say anything like, "I manipulate complicated equations all day."

Everyone knows that accounting has a reputation for being boring but stable! Just be honest.

”
I don't believe anyone would refer to accounting as thrilling, but it is interesting and challenging.

Further Reading

  • For other interview tips, click interview tips
  • How to write a resume like a guru

About the author

Ita John

Founder, CVJury

Dr Ita John founded CVJury in 2022. He previously worked as an IT recruiter in the London market for nearly seven years at Star Jobs Recruitment and founded the NECareersConnect careers platform. He brings experience in recruitment, practical project management, and business development. Earlier in his career, he taught business and economics at Oxford Brookes University and in Nigeria for over a decade. He lives in England with his wife and three sons. He earned a PhD in Entrepreneurship, International Business, and Economics from Oxford Brookes University. See how his background shapes the work he does for you. Read his story..

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